This invention relates to a connector having a locking member for locking a fitted state between the connector and a mating connector.
For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication (JP-A) No. 2005-267970 discloses a connector in which an insulator has a receiving portion adapted to receive a locking mechanism. The locking mechanism has a main body, a locking portion extending from one side of the main body, a spring portion extending from the other side of the main body to continuously urge the locking portion in an engaging direction in which the connector is engaged with a mating connector, and an operating portion for unlocking a locked state by the locking portion. The locking mechanism further has a shaft portion of a hole-like shape formed in the main body to be engaged with a rotation shaft of a pin-like shape formed in the receiving portion. By receiving the locking mechanism in the receiving portion, the rotation shaft and the shaft portion are engaged with each other. Thus, the locking mechanism is rotatably held by the insulator.
However, since the insulator is provided with the pin-like rotation shaft to be engaged with the hole-like shaft portion of the locking mechanism, it takes much time and labor to incorporate the locking mechanism into the insulator. This results in an inferior assemblability.
Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Application Publication (JP-U) No. H5-11362 discloses a male connector provided with a lock spring having an engaging claw and a press button formed at one end and the other end, respectively. The lock spring is fixed to a casing of the male connector at a generally intermediate position. The engaging claw protrudes from a connecting end face of the male connector. The press button protrudes on a lateral side of the casing of the male connector. When the press button is pressed inward into the casing, the lock spring is rotated and the engaging claw moves outward.
However, the engaging claw of the lock spring has elasticity so that the position of the engaging claw is unstable and the locking strength is not stable also. If a gap or play is present between the lock spring and the casing of the male connector, the lock spring can not perform smooth rotation. Further, the lock spring is readily released from the casing.